Career and Education Opportunities for Hairdressers in Raleigh, North Carolina

Hairdresser career and educational opportunities abound in Raleigh, North Carolina. About 12,830 people are currently employed as hairdressers in North Carolina. By 2016, this is expected to grow 32% to 16,970 people employed. This is better than the national trend for hairdressers, which sees this job pool growing by about 20.1% over the next eight years. In general, hairdressers provide beauty services, such as shampooing, cutting, and styling hair, and massaging and treating scalp.

The income of a hairdresser is about $9 per hour or $20,050 annually on average in North Carolina. In the U.S. as a whole, their income is about $11 per hour or $23,140 per year on average. Hairdressers earn less than people working in the category of Personal Care generally in North Carolina and less than people in the Personal Care category nationally.

There are eight schools within twenty-five miles of Raleigh where you can study to be a hairdresser, among twenty-nine schools of higher education total in the Raleigh area. Given that the most common education level for hairdressers is a post-secondary certificate, you can expect to spend a short time training to become a hairdresser if you already have a high school diploma.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Hairdresser

Hairdresser video from the State of New Jersey Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development

In general, hairdressers provide beauty services, such as shampooing, cutting, and styling hair, and massaging and treating scalp. They also may also apply makeup, dress wigs, perform hair removal, and provide nail and skin care services.

Hairdressers analyze customers' hair and other physical features to establish and recommend beauty treatment or suggest hair styles. They also bleach or tint hair, using applicators or brushes. Equally important, hairdressers have to update and take care of customer data records. They are often called upon to keep work stations clean and sanitize tools such as scissors and combs. They are expected to apply water, setting, straightening or waving solutions to hair and use curlers, rollers, hot combs and curling irons to press and curl hair. Finally, hairdressers comb and spray hair or wigs to set style.

Every day, hairdressers are expected to be able to control objects and devices with precise control. They need to move quickly in order to hold onto or control objects and devices. It is also important that they control and manipulate objects at a fine level of detail.

It is important for hairdressers to massage and treat scalp for hygienic and remedial purposes, using hands or vibrating equipment. They are often called upon to shape eyebrows and remove facial hair, using depilatory cream, tweezers, electrolysis or wax. They also administer therapeutic medication and advise patron to seek medical treatment for chronic or contagious scalp conditions. They are sometimes expected to operate cash registers to receive payments from customers. Somewhat less frequently, hairdressers are also expected to bleach or tint hair, using applicators or brushes.

and cut, trim and shape hair or hairpieces, on the basis of customers' instructions, hair type and facial features, using clippers, scissors, trimmers and razors. And finally, they sometimes have to comb and spray hair or wigs to set style.

Like many other jobs, hairdressers must believe in cooperation and coordination and have strong self control in the face of challenging situations.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Hairdresser Training

Mitchells Hairstyling Academy - Goldsboro, NC

Mitchells Hairstyling Academy, 1021 N Spence Ave, Goldsboro, NC 27534. Mitchells Hairstyling Academy is a small school located in Goldsboro, North Carolina. It is a private for-profit school with primarily less-than 2-year programs. Mitchells Hairstyling Academy has a one to two year program in Cosmetology/Cosmetologist.

Central Carolina Community College - Sanford, NC

Central Carolina Community College, 1105 Kelly Dr, Sanford, NC 27330-9840. Central Carolina Community College is a small college located in Sanford, North Carolina. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 4,753 students. Central Carolina Community College has 2 areas of study related to Hairdresser. They are:

Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, less than one year and one to two year which graduated thirty-two and six students respectively in 2008.

Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor, less than one year and one to two year which graduated six and zero students respectively in 2008.

Durham Beauty Academy - Durham, NC

Durham Beauty Academy, 4600 Durham Chapel Hill Blvd, Durham, NC 27707. Durham Beauty Academy is a small school located in Durham, North Carolina. It is a private for-profit school with primarily less-than 2-year programs and has 95 students. Durham Beauty Academy has a one to two year program in Cosmetology/Cosmetologist which graduated nineteen students in 2008.

Carolina Beauty College 3 - Durham, NC

Carolina Beauty College 3, 5106 N Roxboro Rd, Durham, NC 27704. Carolina Beauty College 3 is a small college located in Durham, North Carolina. It is a private for-profit school with primarily less-than 2-year programs and has 90 students. Carolina Beauty College 3 has 2 areas of study related to Hairdresser. They are:

Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, one to two year which graduated 35 students in 2008.

Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Arts, Other Specialties, less than one year.

Mitchells Academy - Raleigh, NC

Mitchells Academy, 1301 Buck Jones Rd, Raleigh, NC 27606. Mitchells Academy is a small school located in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is a private for-profit school with primarily less-than 2-year programs. It has 115 students and an admission rate of 100%. Mitchells Academy has a one to two year program in Cosmetology/Cosmetologist which graduated 107 students in 2008.

Johnston Community College - Smithfield, NC

Johnston Community College, 245 College Road, Smithfield, NC 27577-2350. Johnston Community College is a small college located in Smithfield, North Carolina. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 4,128 students. Johnston Community College has 2 areas of study related to Hairdresser. They are:

Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, less than one year and one to two year which graduated eighteen and seventeen students respectively in 2008.

Cosmetology, Barber/Styling, and Nail Instructor, less than one year which graduated 1 student in 2008.

Wayne Community College - Goldsboro, NC

Wayne Community College, 3000 Wayne Memorial Dr, Goldsboro, NC 27533-8002. Wayne Community College is a small college located in Goldsboro, North Carolina. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 3,376 students. Wayne Community College has a less than one year and a one to two year program in Cosmetology/Cosmetologist which graduated three and zero students respectively in 2008.

Miller-Motte College-Cary - Cary, NC

Miller-Motte College-Cary, 2205 Walnut Street, Cary, NC 27518-7171. Miller-Motte College-Cary is a small college located in Cary, North Carolina. It is a private for-profit school with primarily 2-year programs. It has 495 students and an admission rate of 84%. Miller-Motte College-Cary has a less than one year program in Cosmetology/Cosmetologist which graduated sixty-two students in 2008.

CERTIFICATIONS

Certified Permanent Cosmetic Technician:
CPCT certification can be used to demonstrate advanced skill in permanent cosmetics to employers and clients to help advance ones career.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Raleigh, North Carolina

Raleigh, North Carolina photo by Jmturner

Raleigh is located in Wake County, North Carolina. It has a population of over 392,552, which has grown by 42.2% over the last ten years. The cost of living index in Raleigh, 88, is well below the national average. New single-family homes in Raleigh are valued at $217,600 on average, which is far greater than the state average. In 2008, 1,685 new homes were built in Raleigh, down from 3,224 the previous year.

The top three industries for women in Raleigh are educational services, health care, and accommodation and food services. For men, it is construction, professional, scientific, and technical services, and accommodation and food services. The average commute to work is about 22 minutes. More than 44.9% of Raleigh residents have a bachelor's degree, which is higher than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 14.4%, is higher than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Raleigh is 7.2%, which is less than North Carolina's average of 10.6%.

The percentage of Raleigh residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 43.8%, is less than both the national and state average. Highland Church, Hillcrest Church and Wake Chapel are all churches located in Raleigh. The most prominent religious groups are the Southern Baptist Convention, the Catholic Church and the United Methodist Church.

Raleigh is home to the North Ridge Country Club and the Pamlico Junction as well as Carl Alwin Schenck Memorial Forest and Rothgeb Park. Visitors to Raleigh can choose from Hampton Inn - Capital Blvd. North, Best Western Raleigh Inn and Diamond Hospitality Inc for temporary stays in the area.